Dubai Court orders deportation of Arab woman after drug use discovered during emergency call

Dubai: What began as a call for help from a woman unable to open her apartment door has ended in a deportation order, after Dubai’s Court of Appeal upheld her conviction for drug use and added expulsion to her sentence.

The 27-year-old Arab woman contacted police herself, reporting that she was locked inside her apartment and in urgent need of medical assistance. 

When emergency teams forced open the door, they found her in a disoriented state. Although there was no smell of alcohol, her behavior immediately raised suspicions. She was escorted to a police station, where a urine sample was taken for testing.

Laboratory analysis by Dubai Police’s Forensic Science Department confirmed the presence of two substances listed under Schedule 5 of the UAE’s anti-narcotics law, both linked to the consumption of crystal meth. 

Investigators reported that she admitted during questioning to having used the drug, claiming it was her first time and that she had little recollection of events afterward.

The case proceeded to the criminal court, which initially fined her Dh5,000 after convicting her of drug use.

In its reasoning, the court noted that under UAE law, the crime of consuming narcotics or psychotropic substances is established simply by proof of intentional use, regardless of motive. 

Judges pointed to the consistency between her confession, the forensic findings, and the sequence of events.

On appeal, prosecutors sought a harsher penalty. The Court of Appeal not only upheld the fine but also added the penalty of deportation, citing the seriousness of narcotics offenses and the state’s strict stance on drug consumption.

Under federal law, first-time offenders can face fines, jail terms, and deportation, while possession and trafficking carry far heavier sentences, including life imprisonment or the death penalty in severe cases.